Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/306

294 lisher, Anticipating the squawk from these publishers, who, with one hand are greedily multiplying the fieshpots of their mass industry, while wilh (he other band are pleading for enforcement of freedom of the press privilege, the courts may very well be callal upon to jnterpret this portion of the tirst amendment in terns of present day social eondilions. Wilt our proposed law in New Jersey vassembly bill 401) stand pp in sue a test? J ¢un think of to better way of answering this challenge than hy qnoting fran the late Jastice Lonis D. Grandeis, appesring ol pase 135 in The Words of Justice Grandeis, Edited by Solomon toldninn :

‘Whether a law enacted in the exereise of the police power is just, subjeet te the eharge of being unreasonable or arbitrary can ordinarily be detemnined anly by a vousideration of the coufelporary eoudilions, social, iIndustrig], and palitical, of {he eommuiuily to be effected thereby, WMesorl1osach facts is necessary, Unong other things, in order to appreciate the evils senght to be reinedied and the pos- sible eficets of the remedy jiroposed. Nenrly all legislation involves a weighing of jmblie necds as against private desires, und likewise a weighing of relative social yalnes, Since government is not au exuct xcience, prevailing publie opin- jou eoncerning (he evils and the remedy is among the importuut fscts geserving consideration, parlieularty when the public conviction is both deep-seated and widespread and has becn reached nffter deliberatiou.”

I could not close ney statement without eXpressing iny deep appreciation on Lehalf af the huwyers af the Union County Bar Association, to the Hlizabeth Daily fournel, and purticulariy to Mr. Johu Flall, editarial writer. and Miss Nadia Zagilka, special featnre writer, whose recent revealing series of urticles on jnve- nile delingueney bas surcharged our citizens with determinution to net. This ereat newspmnper in ottr county of over 400,000 inhabitants, bas given us reonlan service in editorial help and pews releases over Ue past several mouths. ‘She dozens of articies amd the thonsiunds of words that have beeu printed by this paper, in stpport of the work of the juyenite delinquency committee of the Union County Bar Assoeialtion in (his phuse of its public-relation work; the cneconr agement and aid that were received in drafting legislation that finally fonnd its mack in the halls of our legisinture ; the constant notices and reports of meel- ings of aur conuittee who have addresses Queens of civic and seeial elolis wud groups; the hetp given New Jersey News Dealers Association (a noupratit eor- poration of (his State} with yudtieity in the distribulion of iis deeal nud pledge eard, speak well of an industvy that eantributes so wach to the hefterment of mankind. I would also ke to echo similar sentiments of sratintde to Mr. Carl Huleit. the jmblisher of iny hometown weekly, the Summit Terald.

Very truly yours,

.

The. At this point, I wish to have entered into the record a group of articles appearing in the Hartford Courant. Let that be exhibit No. 33.

(The material referred to was marked “Exhtbit No, 33,” and reads as follows:)

Beeause of the many requests we haye had for more details about our how celebrated eampaizn against salacious and depraying “comic books” we have put the news stories and editorials in this booklet for your information. We feel that our efforts have started a “chain reaction” in our community which has resulted in a definite improvement in a yery unhealthy situation. We hope that similar cantpaigns from coast fo coast may react in stamping out this grawing evil, I would like to pay snecint tritnte ta three members of the Courant staft— to Thomas E, Marphy, editorial writer, for the inspiration of the campaign,